Earth Day Every Day at ICPL

At today's Earth Day Fair at Kirkwood Community College, some people wondered why the public library was there alongside groups like 100 Grannies, Table to Table, and Field to Family. Well, when it comes to "Reduce and Reuse," public libraries have been there from the start. Think of all the books and movies you've checked out from the library instead of purchasing, and all the paper and plastic casing that was avoided!

Not to mention our books on every environmental topic you can imagine. Here's a partial list with call numbers to whet your appetite:

307.12   Urban planning 332.024 Going car-free 333.95   Biodiversity 344.046 Environmental law 363.7     Environmental ethics 363.73874  Climate change 621.042 Alternative energy 631.875 Composting 635.0484  Organic gardening 635.95177  Native plants 640         Eco cleaning supplies 640         Zero waste lifestyle 641.5636   Vegetarian cookbooks 641.56366   Vegan cookbooks 644         Energy efficient home 648.8     Minimalism 697.78   Solar power your home 745.5     Upcycling 796.6     Bicycle riding

With so many great online resources, you can keep your carbon footprint small by cutting down on some trips to the library. Get the New York Times online, watch streaming movies on Kanopy, flip through magazines on RB Digital, and of course get your ebooks and e-audiobooks on Libby.

AND one of our new Discovery Kits has perfect Earth Day appeal: "Make your home more energy efficient" has a thermal leak detector and an electricity usage monitor, so you can find out where your house has room for improvement.

Tree-lovers might also enjoy our Arbor Day display, featuring books and movies with prominent trees. Think the Ents from Lord of the Rings, Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Whomping Willow from Harry Potter. We've also included tree identification guides and other nonfiction about the ways that trees resonate with people.

Finally, ambitious homeowners will find landscaping books on display upstairs. Build a patio, a stone retaining wall, walkways, or find advice on laying out your garden this year.